You Have a “work Number” on This Site and You Should Freeze It
Privacy no longer exists : no matter what you’re up to, someone, somewhere knows all the details. Even if you take heroic steps to disguise your online activity and carefully protect your privacy in real-life situations, you still won’t become completely anonymous. We all know that your credit history is fairly easy to access and is increasingly being used in almost every aspect of your life, from finding a job to renting an apartment. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably frozen your credit report for a long time.
But there is another report that is just as invasive and just as important, and it’s just as necessary to block it so it can’t be used against you without your knowledge. It’s called the Work Number, and you really need to start paying attention to it—and freeze it.
What is a work number?
Work Number is an “employment check” system run by our old friends Equifax, known for their careful handling of our personal data over the years. Employers submit employee data to the system , such as your job, your salary details, dates of your employment and other details. When you apply for a job elsewhere, that employer may order a copy of your employment record (EDR).
Companies submit this data to The Work Number because it makes their lives easier: human resources (HR) departments are asked to check your work regularly (for example, if you’re applying for an apartment and your landlord needs to check your employment status). Providing this information to The Work Number automates the process so they don’t have to manually respond to every review request. They also benefit when hiring people because they can check your resume quickly and easily.
This all seems pretty harmless until you consider other ways to use your EDR. For example, if you work a part-time job to make ends meet, one of your employers could use Work Number to find out about it and fire you . A potential employer may also have access to your work history when negotiating salary, undermining your influence. And Equifax sells that data—or at least some of it—to anyone who needs it, including debt collectors . This means you should take control of your EDR the same way you take control of your credit report—by freezing it.
How to freeze EDR
Equifax says you shouldn’t freeze your EDR because it actually benefits you in the sense that it makes it easier for people to check your employment history, reducing delays when applying for a mortgage or interviewing for a new job. And that’s true, but this small convenience doesn’t really outweigh the disadvantages.
The work number is subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) , just like your credit reports, so you have the right to a) receive a free copy of it once a year and b) freeze or unfreeze it at any time. , at your discretion. Once you freeze your credit report, you can unfreeze it when you know you’ll be applying for credit. Likewise, you can unfreeze your work number any time you know you’ll need proof of employment.
The process is quite simple: go to the official Work Number website and click “Login”. Find your previous employer and check the “I’m not a robot” box. Click on your employer (if your employer doesn’t appear in the search results, try another one). Click “Register Now!” and enter your information (note: this requires your Social Security number).
That’s it! You can now access your EDR through the Work Number dashboard—and you should. Review it to make sure it’s as accurate as your credit report, and dispute any problems you find . Then go back to your Control Panel and select Freeze your data . You will need to fill out more forms and The Work Number will send you an email confirming the freeze along with a PIN which you will need to unfreeze it later. You may also submit your request by regular mail, email, or telephone.
Once this is done, anyone who tries to access your employment or salary history will be blocked until you unfreeze everything, ensuring that no one gets this information without your knowledge. It’s a minor inconvenience, but at least you’ll have a little more control over your personal information than you did yesterday. After all, your employer or landlord doesn’t need to know everything about you.